An impeccably restored 1930s home in Oakland CA was in desperate need of a renovated garden: a blank canvas for the client/professional botanist to ply his plant craft. A strict set of design parameters; the need to replace structurally compromised retaining walls close to the rear of the house while carving patio-level entertaining room, and the desire to keep all existing trees (maintaining most grade levels), posed a challenging backdrop to the search for the creation of an art deco-esque, formal organizational principle. Concrete planter boxes and urn- landing pads are softened by a gestural and welcoming grand staircase move as one enters the garden. Peruse Sunset Magazine’s September 2017 feature on the garden here.